Oar-lock



(No Model.)

J. W. TENNIS.

OAR LOOK. No. 354,750. Patented Dec. 21, 1886.

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, WITNESSES INVEW'TOR N. PETERS. Fhnhrlilflographer, Washlnghn. D. C

NITED STATES PATENT '1 OFF CE.

JOHN W. TENNIS, OF HAMPTON, VIRGINIA.

OAR-LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of'Letters Patent No. 354,750, dated December 21, 1886.

Application filed April 12, 1886. Serial No. 198,619. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN W. Tennis, of Hampton, in the county of Elizabeth City and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Locks; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a side view of my oar-lock as applied to a boat, partly in section, and'Fig; 2 is a section of the same on line m m, Fig. 1.

This invention relates to improvements in the rowlocks of boats,being especially adapted to seine-boats or any class of boats in which it is customary to draw articles across the gunwales; and it consists, mainly, in the construction and arrangement of the devices, whereby the thole-pins or tholes may beinstantly lowered beneath the gunwales, the said construction being hereinafter described, and pointed out in the appended claims. I

Referring to the accompanying drawings, A designates a part of the side of a boat upon the upper edge of which is the'guuwale A.

B is the base-piece of a rowlock, secured to the upper surface of the gunwale, and b b are vertical passages, which descend through the same, near its ends, and through the gunwale, for the accommodation of the two thole-pins or tholes O, thelower ends of which are firmly secured to the longitudinal block 0. When the parts are in their normal positions, said blocks rest below the gunwale, and the tholepins projectup through the passages 12, for forming with the base-piece B a complete rowlock.

c is a notch in the side of the block 0, ad jacent to the side of the boat and midway b'etween the thole-pins.

D is a strong plate-spring, having its lower end secured to the side of theboat, as shown, and its upper end resting against the lower surface of the block 0 when the same is up, the block, if made of wood, being preferably re-eiiforced with metal at the point where the spring impinges against it. When theupper end of the spring is pushed against the side of the boat, it enters the notch c, and the block 0, being unsupported, drops till its lower surface comes in contact with the supporting clip or bar F, secured to the side of the boat in such-position that when the block rests upon the upper portions of the clip F the thole-pins will still remain in the passages b, with their ends just below the upper surface of the base-piece B. The lower part of the spring D passes through a slot or notch, e, in the bar F, and its tension is necessarily inward, so as to spring under the block 0 and support it when the same is raised.

If desired, the thole-pins and block 0' may be made entirely of metal, and ornamented in any desired manner. 7

It is evident that in haulinga seine or other article-such as trunks or boxes-over the gunwale the thole-pins are liable to be broken or lost, as ordinarily constructed, or to hang the seine in a turn-down rowlock; but in the'described construction the thole-pins can be immediately lowered, so as to be out of the way, by merely pressing the spring outward with the hand or foot.

Having described my invention, I claim' 1. In a boat, the combination of the gunwale A and base-piece B, secured thereto, the thole'passages b I) through the gunwale and said piece, the block 0, lying beneath the gunwale and provided with the spring-notch c, the thole-pins 0, having their lower ends secured to said block, the'spring D, secured to the side of the boat below the block B and adapted to keep the block 0 in position when raised, and the supporting-bar F, all constructed and arranged substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In an oar-lock, the combination of the block 0, having tholes 0 adapted to lie beneath the gunwale of a boat, the said tholes playing vertically through suitable openings in the gunwale, with a supporting-spring, D, secured to the side of the boat below theblock O and adapted to hold the block 0 in position when raised, and the stop F, to support the same when lowered, all substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I afiix my signature in presence of too two witnesses.

JOHN w. TENNIS.

Witnesses:

WM. P. BAINBRIDGE, THEO. B. CLAY. 

